British fashion designer on redefining menswear for Eidos, an Italian brand, and Hong Kong’s love of classic cuts
Simon Spurr, who previously worked at Tommy Hilfiger and Kent & Curwen, describes his ‘magpie’ approach and why he is breaking suits apart
How did you end up at Eidos? “They asked me to help elevate the brand, to make it more European and modern and chic. That’s naturally in my wheelhouse, coming from the brands I’ve worked for in the past.”
How did you approach your first collection for Eidos? “I really enjoyed the process of bringing a kind of energy and movement into the collection. When I was looking at the branding, I worked very mathematically and considered a lot of principles – around proportion, colour, restraint. Ultimately, these are very wearable, modern, easy pieces. It’s definitely an aesthetic reset.”
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What do you foresee in coming seasons? “Beautiful, well-made, tailoring-inspired clothing. Lots of colour. It’s a polished, modern, elegant collection that fits the contemporary market at an affordable price point, so it has a great reach and demographic. It redefines how people wear suits.”
How? “We didn’t use a shirt and tie when we tested them. We put sweatshirts underneath suits, and mixed and matched the suits and jackets, breaking the suit apart. Maybe they take off the jacket and there’s a sweatshirt, tailored trousers and trainers. Some cities, like Los Angeles, are more casual, but this is an opportunity for our man to be more poised and elegant.”
Who is the Eidos man? “It’s a diverse age group – maybe 25 to 55. He wants to be culturally relevant, involved in and inspired by art, architecture and design. He’s modern and international and he’s on a plane all the time, between Hong Kong and London, or Milan and Los Angeles. He knows no time zones and he wants those pieces that work for all occasions.”
Sounds like you, maybe … “I love to travel when I can. I spend a lot of time in Italy working on the brand. And many places I’ve visited may not lend an immediate inspiration but I’m a magpie, and I just absorb and allow things to permeate and penetrate my brain. And then things start to come together. It’s something I live with on a daily basis, allowing art and architecture to inform me.”
Is the Hong Kong customer different? “The Hong Kong market bought mainly the items that were more classic versus overt fashion pieces.”
